The Rats

The poor little kitten cried so pitifully.

Su Youzi held out her hand to Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.

Though Kiyomi's subconscious clearly wanted to resist.

But... both her body and mind had already obediently pressed themselves against Su Youzi.

Just as she had been taught in last night's dream.

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi gently nuzzled the back of Su Youzi's hand.

Su Youzi confirmed a few things.

"You remember what happened last night, don't you?"

Her tone was nearly certain.

Su Youzi glanced outside the door.

The soundproofing at the school infirmary was only so-so.

Otherwise, Kiyomi would not have found the world outside so noisy before.

For Third Sequence Ability Users like Kujo Ryuko or Soga Ishikawa Irube—

They could effortlessly hear every sound coming from inside the room.

So... Su Youzi made her words slightly vague.

Whether it was Kujo Ryuko or Soga Ishikawa Irube, upon hearing Su Youzi's question, they would only assume she was asking about the Altered User Sect's attack.

But... Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi understood.

What Su Youzi meant was that Kiyomi had transformed into an Altered User and attacked her, as well as... what happened afterward.

She nodded pitifully.

Wanting to attack Su Youzi had been her fault.

If Su Youzi had not possessed the "Guardian of Domination," if she had not had that cheat ability protecting her, she might truly have been killed by the nightmare and never awakened again.

But... Kiyomi had already suffered enough punishment.

She did not know what else Su Youzi wanted her to do.

She did not know how much more she had to do.

Gently pressing on Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi's shoulders, Su Youzi stretched out the girl's body, which had been curled up in a kneeling ball, and tucked her back beneath the covers under her frightened, helpless gaze.

As if treating an ordinary patient, Su Youzi pulled the blankets properly over Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.

Since Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi remembered... then there was no need to rush certain questions.

Su Youzi decided to ask about something else first.

Something that she, Kujo Ryuko, and Soga Ishikawa Irube all cared deeply about.

"What happened after I returned to the dormitory?"

Outside the ward, everyone perked up their ears.

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi shrank her neck.

Looking at Su Youzi's smile, let alone acting arrogant, the girl was so docile that she could not summon even the slightest will to resist.

In the dream... she had thoroughly learned the consequences of resistance.

"I... I left the school."

"I hailed a taxi and planned to go home."

Outside the ward, Kujo Ryuko's brows furrowed tightly.

That crashed taxi had already been salvaged.

The driver responsible had died on the spot.

They had indeed found the blackish-purple eye-shaped tattoo, the signature symbol of the Eye of Insight sect, on his body.

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi recounted everything in full detail.

"That driver seemed to be a member of some evil sect."

"He asked whether I hated you..." As she mentioned those words, the girl looked at Su Youzi with pitiful nervousness.

As though she feared Su Youzi would become angry because of her answer.

"He said..."

"He could grant me the power to take revenge on you."

"Power originating from the beginning of This World, power capable of glimpsing the truth of This World."

In her heart, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi had cursed that man ten thousand times over.

What power to glimpse the truth?

Before that terrifying Black Throne, her Mental Domain had been forcibly pried open. Even after transforming into the Nightmare Singer, she had been unable to escape.

Even now... Black Thorns seemed to be growing wildly through her Mental Domain, leaving behind a citrus-like fragrance.

"I..."

"I refused him right away!" she hurriedly added.

Outside the ward, the unease Soga Ishikawa Irube felt at the girl's tearful appearance also vanished.

"See!"

"Look, it was just as I thought."

"Little Kiyomi refused him on the spot."

"Then he got angry... and started speeding."

"I tried to stop him with my ability, but the car crashed into the sea."

"And after that..." Her petite, soft toes curled as her slightly orange-tinged crimson eyes tentatively looked toward Su Youzi.

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi knew.

No one else could ever learn that she had once undergone Evilfall and become an Altered User.

And... the fact that Su Youzi had freed her from her Anomalous state by consuming her Altered Dress bit by bit was an even deeper secret she had to keep buried in her heart.

"Then you knew."

Su Youzi nodded to show that she understood. "Can you remember any other clues?"

"About that driver."

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi recalled, "I saw an eye on the chest of his clothes."

"An... blackish-purple eye."

"Can you draw it?" Su Youzi asked Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.

The girl nodded repeatedly, terrified that Su Youzi might be dissatisfied.

Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something, Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi said, "Right... there was also his equipment."

"Equipment?"

"Yes." The girl raised her head with a trace of pride. "He might have known in advance that my ability was 'Mental Interference.'"

"So he prepared equipment for Mental Ability Users to resist my ability."

"But he did not expect... that my ability was actually 'Area-wide Mental Interference.'" The girl, who had been so proud a moment earlier, suddenly could no longer feel proud after seeing Su Youzi's smiling expression...

Su Youzi did not even know what Kiyomi's true ability was.

Yet Su Youzi had still effortlessly beaten her so thoroughly that she was left in complete disarray—twice.

"That kind of equipment is very special."

"It is not something anyone can just buy."

"I can find the model of that equipment. Following that lead, we might be able to uncover some clues." Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi truly hated those people from the evil sects to the core.

Her pitiful eyes watched Su Youzi, her heart filled with sorrow.

Tears flowed down without stopping.

Aside from realizing that an invisible collar had appeared around her neck, with its leash held in the hands of the maiden before her—

There was also the fact that Ability Users who returned from an Anomalous state—

With the sole exception of the Seat of Evil, every one of them had their abilities permanently locked at the level they possessed while altered.

The girl had been a proud black swan.

Her ability had once been the thing she was proudest of.

But now... she had nothing left.

Because of that terrifying Black Throne and those piercing thorns.

She did not even have the ability to feel hatred toward Su Youzi.

She could only hate the Eye of Insight over and over again.

"R-right." She added through sobs.

"When I mentioned 'rats,' that man suddenly became very agitated."

"Rats?" In a daze, Su Youzi suddenly thought of someone.

In the game.

Soga Toyura's combat voice line, her contemptuous term for small fry, was... rats.

Could this... be related to her too?

"Get some proper rest." Su Youzi comforted Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi.

She watched the girl's unstoppable tears.

Having already come to deeply understand Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi, Su Youzi knew exactly what had caused the despair in the girl's eyes.

She softly said, "By the way..."

"Have you heard, Sister Kiyomi?"

"Sakai Miho, the junior who was also attacked by the Eye of Insight a few days ago and underwent an Anomalous state..."

"Apparently she recently broke through and entered the First Sequence."

Knock knock—

Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi stared at Su Youzi in stunned silence.

In her slightly orange-tinged crimson eyes, a light of hope seemed to shine once more.

More than anyone else, she understood and longed for... the meaning behind Su Youzi's words.

Forget it... Seeing the girl's pitiful state, Su Youzi pressed confirm.

[ Ding ding ding ding ding! ]

[ ★★★★★ ]

[ Congratulations on unlocking a new Operator: Soga Ishikawa Kiyomi. ]

[ Congratulations on unlocking a new achievement: Abyssal Voyage. ]

[ ... ]